Everton are still aiming to bring another attacker to the club before the window shuts.
Everton have enjoyed a solid if unspectacular transfer window so far. Sean Dyche has signed Ashley Young, Jack Harrison, Arnaut Danjuma and Youssef Chermiti, marking a fine mixture of youth and experience.
However, their 2023/24 Premier League campaign didn’t exactly get off to the best start, with the Toffees losing 1-0 to Fulham last weekend, as despite having 19 shots in total, they couldn’t find the back of the net.
Dyche will be aiming to fix this key problem before the window shuts in under two weeks, and he is showing interest in a player who starred in Ligue 1 last season…
Will Everton make more signings?
Journalist Mike Minay provided an update on Everton’s interest in Troyes forward Mama Balde on Twitter, saying: “Burnley, Sheffield United and Everton are interested in signing Mama Balde from Troyes.
“The Guinea-Bissau winger scored 14 goals last season in Ligue 1 including a double against PSG.
“It’s expected a deal could be worth around €20.8m.”
Although facing competition for his signature, a fee of €20.8m could represent a wonderful piece of business for Dyche as he looks to inject some more firepower into his starting XI.
Who is Mama Balde?
Last season, Everton netted just 34 league goals as they narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship, and this is an area which badly needs to be corrected before too long.
Danjuma and Harrison will add a threat from the wings, whereas youngster Chermiti is perhaps too inexperienced to expect much of an impact straight away, hence the need for another striker.
Neal Maupay endured a shocker against Fulham, missing two big chances whilst having four shots during the match without scoring – and Balde could be a major upgrade on the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward should he join the Toffees.
Indeed, last season, the Troyes gem registered more domestic goals and assists (15 v 2), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.16 v 1.45) and succeeded with a higher percentage of successful take-ons per 90 (45.2% v 36.8%), clearly indicating that he could be a more dangerous attacking threat should he be trusted to lead the Everton frontline.
Balde also proved he could do it against the best teams, having netted a double against Paris Saint-Germain in an eventual 4-3 defeat, while also scoring against AS Monaco and Marseille last term.
This big-game mentality would stand him in good stead should he move to the Premier League, as Dyche could count on him to perform when it really matters.
Journalist Josh Bunting described him as Troyes’ “key man” in 2022, and he certainly delivered throughout the season. Maupay, on the other hand, has scored just once for the Goodison Park side since arriving last summer for a fee of £15m, and it’s evident that the move just hasn’t worked out at all.
They could land Balde for less than half the sum they shelled out on the Frenchman and find a player who is a much bigger threat in the final third.
It’s a no-brainer for Dyche, though he will need to act swiftly in order to secure his signature.
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